It’s Raining Men

Adultery can either be taken seriously, to the depths of a drama or erotic thriller or be taken with a pinch of salt. Rom-coms have used cheating on one’s partner for laughs, hijinks or an excuse for an elaborate set piece involving switching rooms hiding under beds, jumping out of windows etc. Writer and director Caroline Vignal seems to enjoy using this story element having included it in her previous film, My Donkey, My Lover and I. But It’s Raining Men leaves the countryside shenanigans behind and focuses more on the Iris’s journey through sexual satisfaction as well as trying to balance her family life. 

Nearing 50, parts of Iris’ life may be going well; her children, her successful business, but she has no sex life. Despite having a loving husband, though he seems to only be concerned with work these days, the two haven’t had sex in years. After a stranger suggests she take a lover, Iris’ world opens up. No sooner has she set herself up on an app aimed at married people, the matches come flooding in. But while she might be finally sexually satisfied, she starts to neglect the other important parts of her life.

Full review over at Filmhounds. 

Titane - The F Word

 

Julia Ducournau’s latest film is hybrid of a story, meshed together with blood, sweat and oil. Dragging you into the depths of a truly disturbed mind and making you watch as everything descends into chaos around her. And what an experience it is. Shrouded in mystery before being revealed at Cannes, the entire plot has been a well-kept secret and for good reason. It’s very rare to not know and be able to find out exactly what happens in a film these days so when the opportunity to disguise the actual plot, even in the trailers, that is sign that this film needs to be seen how it was meant to, on the big screen.

Full review over at The F Word HERE.

Dial Code Santa Claus

3615 code Père Noël, aka Deadly Games, aka Dial Code Santa Claus, aka Hide and Freak, aka Game Over. The many named horror thriller about a boy genius vs a psychotic Santa Claus who play cat and mouse in a mansion gained cult status after its brief 1990 release in France. Having only seen the light of day once again with a Blu-ray release, now 4K, from American label Vinegar Syndrome, now more people can enjoy this bizarre Christmas film and add it to the pile to watch each year. 

Full article at Filmhounds HERE.

Le Samouraï

 

The elusive hitman story is one that we have seen many times portrayed on the big screen over the years from around the world but Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï is a story that has influenced other filmmakers and films across the crime, neo-noir genres. It’s the silhouette we know so well, the coat and hat we usually associate with a detective that now is synonymous with the hitman too.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Petite Maman

 

Following on from her powerhouse romantic epic, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Celine Sciamma returns with a very different story, an intimately framed portrait about a mother and daughter who meet each other at important times in their lives in Petite Maman. We sat down with the director-writer before the film was to screen at BFI London Film Festival to discuss her latest masterpiece, filmmaking, collaborating with actors and her thoughts on disparity between stories centred around girls and boys.

Full interview is over at Filmhounds HERE.

Titane - BFI London Film Festival

 

One the films that is guaranteed to shock you at more than one moment, this is the film that dares to go the whole nine yards without breaking a sweat. Made up of several parts, horror, thriller even fantasy if you can call sex with a car fantastical, the film and its creator Julia Ducournau knows no bounds. 

 

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

Jumbo

 

We’ve seen a thousand and one different love stories portrayed on screen from all over the world. The obstacles that make these tales of love overcome tragedy, adversity and prejudice, but there has yet to be a story played out like Jumbo. 

 

Full review is out in Issue 27 of Film Stories - or your copy HERE.

 

 

Watch List: July

EuroVision

In all honesty, I am not the biggest Will Ferrell fan but I do love Eurovision so I thought, what's to lose watching a comedy written by an American who doesn't really understand the European singing contest as, yes, it is, very European. Despite Australia literally buying its way into a contest it has no place in. Euro, it’s in the title of the contest. For a Netflix original, the quality is very good as those originals tend you have a certain aesthetic now. Icelandic singing duo, Fire Saga have big dreams of representing Iceland at Eurovison and despite their home town not being the biggest fans and through a series of strange events, they make it to the promised land, Scotland as that is where the contest is being held. On their way to stardom, humiliation and triumph they both realise that they had the wrong priorities. The music is amazing, the costumes and supporting cast are also very entertaining and amusing, even Pierce Brosnan’s very dodgy accent is entertaining. If you love Euroviosn, you’ll love this and if you don’t, you will be the end. Even though there are some liberties taken such as, Iceland being bankrupt, that is very untrue and the contest would never be held in Scotland as they are part of the UK and its VERY unlikely that the UK will ever win again AND the semi-finals are not televised. I had to get that out as that bothered me.  4/5

Paradise Hills

A fantastical science fiction story about classes, beauty, oppression and deception all wrapped up in a very extravagantly visual film. Everything about this film is visually intriguing or disturbing, in particular the carousel horse ‘therapy’ sessions and the opening wedding scene. There is so much detail that it was actually quite difficult to hone in on one genre this film could be and on ways prepares you for the knife twist even though you may suspect it. Set in a futuristic society where the upper classes send their disobedient young women to be taught how to act. However, there is something more sinister on the island, ruled over by a striking and again, disturbing being played by Milla Jovovich. The style is so bizarre and, in some ways, misleading in terms of narrative, it reminds me of Tarsem’s films (which I loved). As director Alice Waddington’s previous work is a short film, I’m hoping we see more of her work. 3/5

The Beach House

Full review can be read HERE. 3/5

The Old Guard

My post about the film can be read HERE. 3/5

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Ethan Hunt is at it again and ‘it’ I mean taking on another impossible mission and going against his boss again too. Seeing how brilliantly executed Rogue Nation was, I was eagerly awaiting to see what happening next. But I was very disappointed. The plot is only created when Ethan makes a mistake that could have been avoided and then from there, the story, along with new and old characters, very weak and only as entertaining as it is to watch Henry Cavill in fight scenes, which is usually entertaining but this time, even Cavill couldn’t save the MI crew. 2/5

Desperados

Just when you needed a fun ridiculous rom-com, Netflix provides. This time round, the story is the same old same old. Down on her luck Westly (best name for a girl) is without a job, behind on bills and all she really wants is a boyfriend. She meets a ‘perfect guy’ but instead of being herself, she holds back her personality, don’t try this at home girls and believes she’s happy. But the real story begins when she thinks she’s been ghosted by the perfect guy so sends him a horrible email (don’t know why email – that’s just odd) but it turns out he didn’t ghost her, he was in an accident, in Mexico. So she drags her two friends to Mexico to delete the email. That’s it, that’s the premise. The two friends get a fair share of story but its dull, one wants a kid, the other wants sex, the end. It is funny and silly and you can get carried away with it but it’s nothing ground-breaking. The script is not worthy of the cast’s talent either. 2/5

Come As You Are

My full review is over at Vulturehound and can be read HERE. 4/5

Black Rainbow

A gem from the cusp of the 90s about a spiritual medium who can communicate with the dead but things take a disturbing turn when she starts predicting deaths. Having worked as a medium for years, a gift inherited by her mother, Martha travels the country with her alcoholic father from town to town connecting people with loved ones. She spends her nights at engagements and days hooking up with random strangers, including the very eager sceptic journalist looking for a story. Not quite a murder mystery or crime thriller but a spiritual thriller where ghosts don’t appear but their presence is felt. Sounds more like buzz words but the character of Martha is fascinating, a true dark horse that never really reveals how she does what she does, her powers go beyond speaking to the dead and maybe even time. 3/5

How to Build a Girl

My post about the film can be read HERE. 3/5

The Truth

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first non-Japanese language film is not quite a story about living in the shadow of a successful parent but more about coming to terms with the emotions that one builds up over time. The bitterness and painful memories cloud over the true intentions someone is trying to convey. Screenwriter Lumir arrives back in France with her daughter and husband to visit her very famous actress mother, Fabienne. They are distant yet close with each other, the daughter still not able to forgive her mother for neglecting her all those years and her mother not caring about being a bad mother only being a good actress. All set against the release of a Fabienne’s memoir which is full of lies and the set of her latest role. Its wonderful mother daughter relationship story that flows with anger and resentment as well as an emotional bond that won’t break. With two fantastic leads, Catherine Deneuve and Juilette Binoche, the film is a delight. 3/5

Zombi Child - BFI London Film Festival

If you could get revenge on someone, would you? Even it meant crossing the barrier of life and death? Part family history, part horror, part coming of age (sort of) this story spans decades and goes beyond four friends and their secret society.

My full review can be read over at Zavvi HERE.

 #LFF

@BFI

On a Magical Night - BFI London Film Festival

A very French film about love, marriage and the past. A serial adulterer goes through all her past lovers including her husband's younger self, trying to figure out what she should do about her present husband. Sounds silly and it is but its also enjoyable.

My review is over at Vulturehound and can be read HERE.

 #LFF

@BFI

Deerskin - BFI London Film Festival

 Jean Dujardin is Georges. He is obessesed with his deerskin jacket. What if his jacket was the only one in the world? Armed with a video camera, a plastic poncho and a ceiling fan blade, he can make that dream come true.

This is, so far, my favourite film (apart from Jojo Rabbit - review soon) of the festival this year.


The full review is over at Vulturehound and can be read HERE.


 #LFF

@BFI

Controversy Becomes Her

 The first version of this review appeared on Vulturehound and can be read HERE. 

Controversial seems to be Catherine Breillat’s middle name especially when talking about her filmography as well as her written work. Unfortunately, ‘Romance’ is mainly known for being one of the films that features unsimulated sex but this bleak, unglamorous look into an unhappy woman’s love and sex life is more than the controversy that follows it.

Marie’s boyfriend Paul refuses to have sex with her, leaving her unsatisfied and sexually frustrated. She decides to explore her desire through various encounters with men, even engaging in a sadomasochistic relationship, but every night she returns to Paul, desperately in love with him.

Marie is not happy. In fact, in one of her first scenes, she is crying, because of Paul, a cold stone-faced man who really doesn’t give a damn about her. Marie is the seen as the epitomy of frustration and despair. Even the moments of ecstasy she craves so much are filled with as a sadness that feels like she can never overcome. We feel her ongoing frustration while being in love with a man who shows no affection, sexual or otherwise and wanting to fulfil her sexual appetitive which takes her to some dark places. All her pain is stemmed from Paul and he feels like the villain of the story but Marie isn’t entirely blameless. She obviously doesn’t deserve the treatment she receives from the men she meets (including Paul) but she also seems to enjoy the pain. Left to her own devices she actively seeks out the pain she receives. It isn’t until the end where she realises her worth and takes drastic revenge.

Breillat’s films always highlight and discuss female pleasure through social and sexual conflicts. The character, Marie seems deny herself any sort of pleasure by staying with Paul. Even when she has affairs, she keeps to strict rules for herself dare she adventure any closer to her ultimate goal of pleasure. Always dressed in white apart from the red dress near the end, she both unattainable and easily seduced all at the same time, conveying various emotions with one expression and tearful outbreak. Breillat exacts this character from Caroline Ducey as if she is slowly and painful performing surgery and that is someone to admire.

If you’re looking for an overlooked gem full of insight and long deep and meaningful conversations about the past, present and the future then you will be disappointed. ‘Romance’ is not the film for you, especially if you’re suffering from issues same as in the film. However, if you have been craving that streak of delicious and unaccountable behaviour that heroines sometimes lack, prepare to me be dismayed and entertained.